National Football League

Cardinals-Ravens Preview

Published Oct. 27, 2011 6:44 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

The Baltimore Ravens found out their top-ranked defense can't win games all by itself in an unexpected loss their last time out.

Coming off their worst offensive performance in nearly four years, the Ravens will look to bounce back when they host the reeling Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Baltimore (4-2) dropped out of first place in the AFC North with a 12-7 loss to lowly Jacksonville on Monday night, gaining a paltry 146 yards of total offense - its fewest since mustering 104 in a 38-7 defeat to Pittsburgh on Nov. 5, 2007.

Joe Flacco threw for 137 yards, with 90 coming on the Ravens' only touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.

The Ravens had a franchise-low 16 yards at halftime and didn't have a first down until the third quarter.

"No excuses. It has to be a lot better. Not even close to the way we're capable of performing on offense," coach John Harbaugh said. "Everybody realizes that. We have to do a better job, starting with me. I got to do a better job of making some decisions. We all have to do a better job of coaching, playing, executing, all those different things."

Terrell Suggs, one of the Ravens' defensive standouts, questioned Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron for providing Ray Rice with only eight carries, on which he gained 28 yards and fumbled once.

"You go first-down run and you get a yard, now you've got to find a way to get nine yards on the next two," Harbaugh said. "By the same token, eight carries is never going to be a winning formula for Ray Rice, there's no doubt about it."

Rice thinks things will change this week.

"I definitely expect to be more involved," he said. "My involvement with this offense hasn't changed since the beginning of the season. I don't want them to feel like they've got to force me the ball. I'm not that kind of guy. My carries come when the whole offense has success. I look forward to having that success."

Baltimore's NFL-best defense did its part Monday, not allowing a touchdown while giving up only 205 total yards. The Ravens are allowing league-best averages of 272.7 yards and 13.8 points - neither of which may bode well for a Cardinals team having offensive struggles of its own.

Arizona (1-5) has lost five straight after last week's 32-20 defeat to Pittsburgh, which included another lackluster performance from quarterback Kevin Kolb.

Since a 309-yard, two-touchdown performance in a Week 1 win over Carolina, Kolb has thrown seven interceptions to only five touchdowns during the skid and his 66.8 passer rating during that span ranks last in the league.

He was called for intentional grounding in the end zone which resulted in a safety last week, and 73 of his 272 passing yards came on a dump-off play to LaRod Stephens-Howling which resulted in a touchdown.

Kolb is aware his play must improve if he's to succeed against Baltimore's stifling defense - and if he's to hold onto his starting job.

"You just have to be mentally tough," Kolb said. "That's all you can do. You have to know that you're doing it right and get a little extra inch. What choice do you have? There is no simple answer. All you can do is put your head down and grind and know that you definitely don't want to move back."

Coach Ken Whisenhunt was quick to point out, though, that Kolb isn't the only one struggling. Arizona has rushed for less than 100 yards in five of its six games, though running back Beanie Wells' knee injury isn't as serious as first thought.

Wells is unlikely to play Sunday, but after further evaluation he won't be lost for the season as Whisenhunt had feared.

Larry Fitzgerald has only two games of 100-plus yards this season and hasn't caught a touchdown pass in three games.

The Cardinals' defense, which allowed 445 yards to Pittsburgh, ranks 26th allowing 388.3 yards per game, and is 28th giving up an average of 25.5 points.

"We have to find somebody to make plays," Whisenhunt said. "If we have to make changes across the board for the different positions in order to do that, that's what we're going to do. One-and-five, five straight losses is certainly frustrating. It's certainly not from lack of effort - we're working our tails off to try to win - but we've got to look at every position and if they're not getting it done, we have to make changes."

The Cardinals have lost three straight to the Ravens since a 16-13 win Nov. 23, 1997, in Baltimore.

This game could feature two veterans each facing his former team for the first time. Ravens receiver Anquan Boldin spent seven seasons with Arizona before being traded in 2010, and tight end Todd Heap was with Baltimore for 10 years before the Ravens cut him for salary cap reasons in July.

"It was something that obviously hit me out of left field," Heap told the Cardinals' official website. "I had to take it all in stride. Anytime something like that happens, you look forward."

Heap hasn't played since Oct. 2 due to a hamstring problem, but he could return this week.

share

Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

National Football League